Green scene's fin: Seminar series ends on Earth Day

After two years, Ryan Jacoby of Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity will wind down his "Green Matters" workshop series on Earth Day, April 22.FILE PHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO

What Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity beganas a way to educate people about ways to live and build in a more environmentally friendly way and has become a monthly meeting of scores of green-minded builders, contractors, and homeowners will come to a close on Wednesday, April 22. After a successful two year run, the Green Matters workshop series will be no more.

"From the beginning, we had a grant to do this as a two-year series," says Ryan Jacoby, Habitat's director of special projects. "The grant allowed us to do it for free, and we didn't want to start charging."

Jacoby estimates that an average of 100 people showed up each time to the Charlottesville Habitat Store for the regular seminars, covering topics ranging from energy efficiency to low-impact building materials. While the ostensible purpose was to allow a local expert to lecture on his topic of expertise before an audience, it became the go-to spot to learn how to save the planet one home at a time.

"After each seminar," says Jacoby, "people would always have the opportunity to go up to the presenter and ask questions, and it became a great way to exchange ideas. Every time, people came up to us and thanked us for making this available to such a broad audience for free."

Habitat will hold one last, but environmentally responsible, blowout at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday, April 22, where all the previous presenters will be on hand to man booths and answer questions from 10am until 3pm, with a open house reception that evening from 5pm to 8pm.

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Both events at the Paramount, at 215 East Main Street, are free and open to the public.